One year on from Bradford being named City of Culture 2025

Today marks one year since Bradford was announced as the next City of Culture, and the team set up to deliver the celebration has today announced a series of projects to boost the district’s cultural offer.

On May 31, 2022, the then Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries announced on The One Show that Bradford had beat County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham to win the title.

Much of the work to prepare Bradford since then has gone on behind the scenes, but today the 2025 team made a number of announcements to help prepare all areas of the district for the year-long celebration.

One of these could lead to Bradford venues being brought back into use – or even new venues created.

Reflecting on the anniversary, Shanaz Gulzar, creative director of City of Culture, said: “I’ll never forget that moment when it was announced. That image of everyone celebrating – that really sums up why Bradford won.”

Today’s announcements include:

•  A £3 million grant pot that will allow local groups and organisations to fund works to buildings in the district, allowing them to be used as cultural venues in the run-up to, and during, City of Culture.  There will be two grant schemes – a small-scale one of up to £5,000 each and a larger-scale one for a minimum of £50,000.
   
• An architectural competition to design and develop a temporary touring venue that could be set up at different locations such as parks and fields across the district, bringing a cultural venue with a capacity of around 400 to areas that may not have any existing provision.
   
• Funding for local artists to get involved in the first “runway” event in the run-up to 2025 – the return of BD is LIT light festival.

Dan Bates and Shanaz Gulzar (Image: Bradford 2025)

• A partnership with Give Bradford that will provide funding for community groups to bring culture to their area.

Referring to the grants available for buildings to become cultural venues Dan Bates, City of Culture director, said: “We want to support the cultural infrastructure across the District. We want to be able to use all the venues we can, as well as creating more of them. Money might go to a building that has no public access.”

Ms Gulzar said: “It will give spaces in the district the opportunity to be venues for 2025.”

The returning BD is LIT festival is being run by Bradford Council, but the 2025 team will be providing opportunities to artists to develop installations across the district.

Ms Gulzar added: “The event will show what the nighttime economy in Bradford could look like – it will show that people will come out when there is a free, family event.”

The pair said the successful City of Culture bid has helped secure funding for a number of Bradford institutions in the past year.

Late last year, the Arts Council announced it would increase the amount it allocated to Bradford by 89 per cent.

Groups and organisations to benefit would be the district’s four Council-run museums, Bradford Literature Festival and Bloomin Buds Theatre Company.

In March it was announced that Kala Sangam arts venue in the city centre would receive a £4.9m boost from the Government’s Cultural Investment Fund.

The same month it was announced that the National Science and Media Museum would be awarded £3m from the National Lottery to help fund a huge refurbishment of the museum.

And the 2025 team has announced that it will be converting a former Chinese Buffet premises in Centenary Square into itd new offices, where up to 70 staff will work from.

Ms Gulzar said: “The year of delivery is 2025, but we’re trying to create opportunities to develop and grow over the next two years. We’re trying to make sure the District’s cultural scene is fit for purpose – we’re trying to keep the momentum going.”

Mr Bates said: “A lot of the past year has been about getting things ready and putting the buildings blocks in place.

“The great thing about preparing for 2025 so far has been the commitment and engagement from the people of Bradford.”

Ms Gulzar said: “In 2025 it is about Bradford owning its narrative – we’ve been awarded City of Culture, now we need to tell our story. Our neighbours do that really well – now Bradford needs to show it can do it.

“Bradford has it’s cultural plan, and 2025 is going to turbocharge it.”